Friendship – 2015 has taught me that friendship is sometimes seasonal. It’s a heart-warming aspiration to want your nearest and dearest to stay close to you forever. But this year I’ve learnt that the seasonality of friendship is not an indication of a weak bond. Or that one or the other person is at fault. Falling apart can happen just as unexpectedly as your coming together.

The Pressure to Succeed – 2015 has (reminded) taught me that there’s space for all of us. Everyone seems to be move making at an exponential rate and it’s easy to feel left behind or lacking in some respect. But I’m learning that another’s success doesn’t impede on my own. I believe truly that my path has been marked out by God- just for me. It doesn’t matter how much other people seem to be doing. My time will come. Most importantly, I’m drawing so much inspiration from the success of others. There’s so much to do.

Health – 2015 taught me that health is expensive. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a price that I need to be willing to pay. On my 21st birthday, I decided to switch to a healthier lifestyle. I made a serious effort to stay fit and eat clean throughout the year but I found myself spending significantly more to maintain this. Life is about sacrifices, I guess? Additionally, I’ve failed on the healthcare front but I’m not going to make any more promises. I’m just going to do it. It’s no longer my parents’ responsibility to watch over my health. I need to own my physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Hard work – 2015 has taught me to do more with less. It’s better to work hard on a few projects than to do everything at the same time. I have to repeat this to myself- prioritize. It’s okay to say, ‘not today’. It’s also okay to say, ‘no’.

Self-love – 2015 has taught me that I need to come to terms with self-love. What does it really mean? I’ve been asking myself- do I love myself? I think so. How do I know? I don’t know. And why is it important that I love myself?

Failing – 2015 has taught me that failure is success. There’s an element of success in every failure. You learn something new. You become something new! And that is something to celebrate and be thankful for. Failure has made me courageous, introspective and grateful. I’m focused on excellence but wholly embrace failure. Don’t shy away from it. Don’t let it shrivel you up. Allow failure to mould and shape you.

Learning – 2015 has taught me how much I don’t know. There’s just so much to learn from and so much to learn about! Most importantly, as you learn, it’s perfectly okay to construct anew. It’s easy to feel held back by what you know or believe. But I think it’s enlightening to be led by a search for truth. At the same time, learning can also strengthen and deepen your roots. Either way, don’t fight the process!

Living Away From Home – 2015 has taught me that a life away from home must continue. For the past few years, I’ve felt that my life has been on pause while I’m abroad. I often want the time to move quickly so I can go home and continue my life. I have to remind myself constantly that despite the discomfort and disconnect I feel, this too is my life. I have to remember that I carry life with me. And I need to make more of an effort in breathing life into my days, weeks and months here.

I’m so grateful for a 2015 rich in learning and experiences. God go before us all in 2016!

This past year has been incredibly intense. My brain is bursting to the seams with things I’ve learnt, people I’ve met and places I’ve been to.

I’ve been wondering what to do with all of it. And I don’t want to move on to the next stage of my life without figuring out where it’s all going.

Learning and doing new things has always been the best way to keep engaged and productive. But there’s something to be said about regularly putting things on hold and looking back at where you’ve been.

There’s a difference between stopping to take time off and stopping to actively examine what you’re doing. I’m trying to do the latter. I’ve been asking myself, is this really what I want to be doing right now?Is this the best way to be doing it?What else could I be doing? Why is this working? What is not working? What do I do with all I’ve learnt?

I feel a responsibility to do something with the opportunities and exposure I have had. I don’t think they were just for me to sit on and use for myself. They need to be dispersed widely and channeled productively.

I think it’s always better to have little on your plate that you do well than having a multitude of mediocre activity. Even when things are going well, it’s easy for others’ expectations to set the direction of your work. It’s very possible to be doing well, but on other peoples’ terms. That’s not quite as fulfilling as doing well on what you actually set out to do.

I don’t want to feel like life is controlling me. I want to set the pace and expectations of my own life. So I’ve decided for the next few months, that I want to stop and reflect. I’m not trying to do new things right now. I want to review, re-evaluate and re-direct. I want to work on making what’s in my hands better.

When I told a friend of mine a few months ago about my plan to reflect, he asked me a very important question- how will you reflect? I hadn’t thought about it. I’m aware that reflection isn’t just sitting down and doing nothing. There’s a method to it. It’s about determining what it is about your life you’re trying to make better and setting objectives for what you’re trying to achieve by the end of the reflective period. It could also include talking to friends, family and anyone else you feel could give you important feedback on how to be better.